Lunchtime chatter leads to great recycling ideas!

At lunch on Friday, TheVillageBeader and I were talking about different ways to use bottle caps, can lids, and various other odds and ends. She's a crafter and often sees really creative ways to use fairly mundane things. I, on the other hand, am great at following directions rather than creating my own things, but occasionally even I come up with something fun.

Anyway, we came up with several ideas that seemed worthy of sharing:

• Use bottle caps as "weights" for candle-making. Drill a hole in the cap with a nail. Tie a knot in one end of the wick and draw the long end up through the hole, having the knot come up on the flat side of the cap. Add a drop or two of melted wax to the knot and press it firmly to the bottom of the candle mold. Tie the other end of the wick to a pencil or dowel and settle across the mold's top. Pour the wax in, and voila!
• Bottle caps make a funky, colorful decoration on wide leather belts. To keep from scratching yourself, pound the edges out flat rather than leaving them curled up.
• Wine bottle corks make great trivets and coasters. Cut them in half length-wise and then glue them down in neat designs to a 1/4" piece of plywood cut to whatever shape you want.
• Glass jars (think empty jelly, spaghetti and pickle jars) can be made into beautiful candle holders. Pour an inch of dried beans in the bottom and put a votive candle inside. (Lots of colors to choose from just by using different types of beans and different colored candles.) If you decide to use the lid, make sure you punch holes in the top so air can get in or the flame won't last long.
• The tops of tin cans make lovely wind chimes. Drill holes in the centers of the tops. Tie a knot in one end of a long string, wire, or cord, thread a lid onto the string, tie another knot two inches above the lid, thread another lid onto the string, tie another knot, thread another lid - continue until you have as many lids on the string as you'd like. Make another two or three strings with lids on them. Tie the strings together at the top and hang.

Any other ideas to share? What suggestions do you have to re-cycle items around the house? I'd love to hear them!